The IRS announced it will no longer provide tax preparation assistance to low and moderate income Americans through walk-in centers throughout the United States. Instead, it will be sending millions of dollars to liberal community service groups to assist in tax preparation.

The Daily Caller reports that the IRS made the decision to end the popular program, which enjoys bi-partisan support in Congress, unilaterally, without hearings, legislation, or public comment. Congress had left funding for the program untouched.

The Tax Assistance Centers provided free face-to-face help preparing taxes with IRS employees for those earning less than $49,000 a year.

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The IRS is now directing those who need help completing their taxes to do so online or to seek out those groups that the agency is funding through grants to the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (“VITA”).

There are at least two problems with the IRS’ decision to shift funding from the agency’s own Tax Assistance Centers to the VITA program. First, an Inspector General’s review of the VITA program for the 2013 filing year revealed that half of all returns were completed incorrectly. Most of the preparers working in these centers are volunteers, not tax professionals.

Second, and more disturbing, given the IRS’ recent history of politicization against conservatives, the millions that agency is doling out are going to liberal organizations like Chicago’s Center for Economic Progress, New York’s Financial Network Consortium (founded by George Soros’ Open Society Institute), and the AARP Foundation, which received the largest grant.

The Obama Administration wants to triple funding to the VITA program. Currently, $12 million dollars is budgeted to go to community service groups to assist in tax preparation.

The Administration’s decision to close its Tax Assistance Centers comes at a time when Americans are struggling to comply with the new filing burdens created by the Obamacare health insurance mandate layered on top of one of the most complex income tax regimes in the world.

“The thing is that this is an administration that pledges itself as trying to help out ordinary Americans, to help out the little guy,” observed Ryan Ellis, the tax policy director at the conservative Americans for Tax Reform.

“I wouldn’t think they would be shutting down an office whose very focus is to help those very people,” he said.